Beginner Astrophotography

sureshot

sureshot

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I’ve just started so a lot to learn,my kit so far is a EQ5 goto mount for my Canon 600f4 ,tracking scope 50mm and 7d mk2 .Question is is there a better Canon dslr out there or buy s/h and get it a full mod conversion.
 
Find one of Sara's threads (swag72) and follow the link to her site. Loads of good advice (not to mention inspirational images!) there.
 
You're probably better going for a second hand camera that you can mod and dedicate to astro, but just about anything will do the job. I use an old 350D (modded) that's perfectly capable. It might be worth looking at the lighter weight models - less work for your mount to do, and if you ever go for a scope rather than the lens, less weight for the eyepiece tube to carry. Things to look out for - if you use live view for focussing (I don't) some older models won't have it, and look for the button layout. You should be able to easily find and use the image replay and zoom buttons in the dark. I've used my 550D a couple of times for astro and the replay button on that is almost impossible to find by touch. The downside of the 350D is it's quite battery hungry, so whatever you get it's worth checking the availability of good quality batteries (and buy several). The 350D has two rear screens - a small led and the larger lcd that can be turned off except when it flashes up the preview. The single lcd on the 550D is a pain. I could turn the brightness down but that would affect the image replay. I'm not advocating buying either of those cameras, but just a few observations based on having used two different ones and finding out their pros and cons. A friend of my partner's modded the 350D (after he'd successfully modded his own!). It was definitely worth doing.
 
sureshot said:
Question is is there a better Canon dslr out there...
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If you're into astrophotography and you use Canon equipment then I assume you're reading ClarkVision. Roger Clark is a serious expert in this area.

He loves the 7D II. His very technical review is here:
http://www.clarkvision.com/reviews/evaluation-canon-7dii/

Highlights:
Sensor performance of the Canon 7D Mark II is outstanding both in lab tests as well as in the field under tough conditions. This camera is a stellar performer in low light situations, especially in the lowest light situations commonly found in astrophotography.... The 7DII is a game changing camera for night photography especially when one needs the reach that small pixels provide.
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Canon do/did a 60Da specialist SLR but you shouldn't go down that route just yet. You might find a 80/100 refractor scope more use than your 600mm lens as you can adjust the power/viewing angle with different eye pieces. A crop camera is I believe a better camera to use than a FF unless you get a field flattener.
As posted Swag has great info on her website and may prevent you from spending a lit on water purchases and awe inspiring photos.
 
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